1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for covering the roof of an automobile and more particularly, is directed towards an unpadded roof cover which provides the same appearance as a padded roof cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vinyl covered automobile roofs are known. As an alternative to affixing a vinyl cover directly to the regular roor of the automobile, it is also known to secure a vinyl cover to a fiberglass shell which is preformed to fit over the roof of the automobile.
In applying such a vinyl cover to the fiberglass shell, it is customary to interpose a layer of foam padding or the like between the fiberglass shell and the vinyl cover. This padding is used to enhance the appearance of the automobile by providing an automobile top with a luxurious, cushioned, padded appearance. To further improve the appearance of the automobile, decorative pieces such as molding strips, emblems and decorative letters can be placed on the vinyl cover. The emblems and decorative letters not only add to the appearance of the car, but function to identify the type of car.
However, this method of covering an automobile roof with a vinyl covered fiberglass shell that has a layer of padding under the vinyl, suffers from several drawbacks and deficiencies. First of all, the necessity for interposing padding is expensive and time consuming. The expense is a result not only of the cost of the foam material itself but of the additional labor costs in first having to affix the padding to the fiberglass shell before being able to attach the vinyl and decorative pieces.
Moreover, in order to attach the decorative pieces, portions of the padding must be cut or carved out before the vinyl is attached. That is, a space corresponding to the particular decorative piece it is designed to accommodate must be created in the padding. This "carving out" of the padding is time-consuming, expensive (labor costs) and is not a simple task. Portions must be carved out, for example, along peripheral portions to accommodate molding strips as well as in center portions to accommodate emblems and decorative letters. If these portions are not cut with precision, the decorative pieces will not fit properly and therefore the objective of enhancing the appearance of the automobile roof will be defeated.
The complications involved in carving out portions of the padding are further highlighted by the fact that the carving out of the padding is done at the post-manufacturing stage. Therefore, the installer of the vinyl cover, rather than the manufacturer of the fiberglass shell, must create the spaces in the padding for accommodating the decorative pieces.
Therefore, a need exists for a simpler method of making a vinyl covered fiberglass shell with a padded appearance that can accommodate decorative pieces. That is, there exists a need for a vinyl covered fiberglass shell which provides the same appearance as a padded vinyl car roof but which does not require a padding layer and therefore overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the use of padding.